PathScale Inc. has developed and made available a high performance compiler suite tailored to 64-bit Linux environments running on AMD's Opteron. Having chosen the Opteron over the Itanium platform, the project, which was led by ex-SGI Chief Scientist Dr. Fred Chow, is expected to be a big boon for AMD. The compiler is proving to be 40% faster than any other Opteron Linux server-based compiler that is currently available. This may be due in part to the lack of high-end compilers for the platform, but due to its cost/performance standpoint and the ever growing interest in the Opteron, PathScale felt it was a logical choice. It is their belief that the availability of a high performance C, C++, and Fortran 9X compiler (which has its roots in a seasoned compiler originally developed by SGI) for the AMD 64-bit platform will speed up application development for the platform as well as swing the balance of 64-bit computing power away from Intel, making the Opteron the most popular processor for Linux clusters. Can all of this can be accomplished with a compiler? We will have to wait and see, but the performance seems to be there, and interest in AMD processors for high-end computing continues to grow. The performance the PathScale product brings to the table will at least provide another avenue for AMD to let their processor technology shine.

USER COMMENTS 14 comment(s)

mamma mia(5:16pm EST Tue Nov 18 2003)This is something we will see a lot more of during the next couple of years. Bigger differences on the inside of the x86 spectrum make highly platform specialized compilers ever more interesting… – by giaccomo

SGI(7:33pm EST Tue Nov 18 2003)SGI (and MIPS) were once at the fore-front of compiler technology. It is amazing the number and types of optimizations they could perform. It is good to see that this legacy is not going to waste.

I wonder if Microsoft will use this compiler to compile Windows for the Opteron? – by grapevine

LOL(8:04pm EST Tue Nov 18 2003)So apps are not going to run slower when compiled in X86-64 over X86 any more?

Linux rules(9:57am EST Wed Nov 19 2003)The communist vision of free software like linux and all the rest of the open source community( MySQL, Eclipse, OpenOffice ETC. ) will bring the invisible multi-bilion dollar economy of Intel and Microsoft that opressed us for years.

They are going to sink the Titanics.

If you don't know the principle of the communist systems, don't reply. – by DaSpecialist

What power?(10:27am EST Wed Nov 19 2003)“swing the balance of 64-bit computing power away from Intel”

Heh, I wouldn't worry about that too much, Intel doesn't have much power in 64-bit, after all the Itanium is a flop.

If you want to talk about power in the 64-bit market, you need to be thinking:

You're right! Linux is sucking the life out of Microsoft. Better get used to welcoming your new Linux overlords.

:-) – by macemoneta

I'll believe it when I see it(3:43pm EST Wed Nov 19 2003)Not that I doubt PathScale, but I'll believe the 40% claims when I see them show up on benchmarks like Spec. A 40% boost to existing scores would make the Opteron very competitive with the Itanium on a per CPU basis (not even considering price) and thus would remove just about any reason somebody might have for purchasing an Itanium-based system. I just hope PathScale doesn't charge an arm and a leg for their products.– by Grover

hey(4:29pm EST Wed Nov 19 2003) if i remember right AMD had over 50% marketshare in some parts of Asia when the Athlon was introduced. They seem to care more about their bottom line than Americans.

But if I was Intel i would suggest they slapp around the asians as they are more vulnerable in theyr desperate need to conform to the status quo and do what they are told. If they can get control of Asians AMD will sufficate to death. – by Go Intel

How honest is this??? (4:32pm EST Wed Nov 19 2003)“But if I was Intel i would suggest they slapp around the asians as they are more vulnerable in theyr desperate need to conform to the status quo and do what they are told. If they can get control of Asians AMD will sufficate to death. – by Go Intel” – by by by